Westholme in Oz managed to get an export approval for 84 cows by the Japanese governement in '97/'98, see : Westholme Wagyu - Premier Japanese Genetics
Also included export of 3 steers : Hirashige Tayasu, Itomoritaka, and Kitateruyasu Doi.
All three of them Hongen graded by the Zenwa (see semen page of Westholme, raised by Hawkeye in Iowa, but owned by Westholme).
One the Wagyu farms here got their 1st line embryos from Westholme, +10 years ago.
They breed their cattle in cooperation with the agricultural university (Wageningen), the university keeps a genetic track database.
100% original bloodline and good grazing grounds likely account for the full marbling, in comparison e.g. with Wagyu from Wales.
(The sirloin steak image is the $78/lb. Lower marbling grade can be bought here too, several online sources, at a corresponding lower price tag)
Also included export of 3 steers : Hirashige Tayasu, Itomoritaka, and Kitateruyasu Doi.
All three of them Hongen graded by the Zenwa (see semen page of Westholme, raised by Hawkeye in Iowa, but owned by Westholme).
One the Wagyu farms here got their 1st line embryos from Westholme, +10 years ago.
They breed their cattle in cooperation with the agricultural university (Wageningen), the university keeps a genetic track database.
100% original bloodline and good grazing grounds likely account for the full marbling, in comparison e.g. with Wagyu from Wales.
(The sirloin steak image is the $78/lb. Lower marbling grade can be bought here too, several online sources, at a corresponding lower price tag)
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I'll pass, OK I surrender. The ribeye in China was at that level, as a steak I actually found it repulsively rich and unenjoyable, to each his own.
OTOH I have to admit the steak and abalone teppanyaki dinner at Seryna Shinjuku was great. The current menu says Kobe but "our big boss man" in 1988 said at the time he ordered special meat. Ah, before the bubble no limit on expense. Maybe my aging system can't take it anymore.
Chinese restaurants/takeaways here serve mainly Chinese adapted Indonesian dishes.
One is Babi Pangang (Malayan : babi= pig, pangang=roasted).
They use something like pork steak for that, covered with Chinese tomato soup, which I find totally repulsive.
Authentic Babi Pangang is prepared with quality pork belly, marinated for a day, and grilled on charcoal.
Each time I did a BBQ with that one included, with guests ranging from pretty pale to mighty colorful, I ended up with several pounds of prime beef left (in a Japanese soy marinade, with all-fresh ingredients).
On the last two ribeye eat-out occasions, one made me pugh, the second one was grand. I don't expect to enjoy boiled steak either.
One is Babi Pangang (Malayan : babi= pig, pangang=roasted).
They use something like pork steak for that, covered with Chinese tomato soup, which I find totally repulsive.
Authentic Babi Pangang is prepared with quality pork belly, marinated for a day, and grilled on charcoal.
Each time I did a BBQ with that one included, with guests ranging from pretty pale to mighty colorful, I ended up with several pounds of prime beef left (in a Japanese soy marinade, with all-fresh ingredients).
On the last two ribeye eat-out occasions, one made me pugh, the second one was grand. I don't expect to enjoy boiled steak either.
If you saw iron chef Chen Kinichi make his signature dish on TV the big Heinz bottle is quite visible (his restaurant in Tokyo was not too bad though). I do eat my frites with mayo when in Belgium.
There's lots of small batch home made stuff these days, it's hard enough to avoid industrial food.
Can't help but wonder how you'll taste, after your morning break.
As a kid, me and my youngest sister sometimes went with my mom to a chicken farmer.
My mom picked out some specimens, farmer hick put them on a large wooden block, chopped their heads off with an axe.
When he let go of their neck, the poultry ran zig-zagging into the bushes.
Blood squirting out in every direction gore-movie style, my sister and I chasing after them.
Man, those were the days.
I have no problems with ketchup and Jack Daniels for ribs.
(have to finger count one day how many languages have the headless chicken saying)
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During a summer holiday abroad, I spent a couple of weeks with a bunch of Aussie post-hippies.
Freewheeler types who flew over to England, bought an old van there, threw a matrass in, a cassette-player & cooking gear, and drove across Europe.
A couple even carried a turntable along, and a suitcase with albums (folks there appeared to lag behind 10-15 years at the time).
Albums which were blacklisted in Oz, one could hear playing in any UK-plated van on camping sites, day and night.
Some had done just about everything back home, from sheep shearing to bagging chickens.
Story I got from them was that they entered at night, carrying a bag, in a hen house with something like 10-50K sleeping chickens, stuffed them in the bag, and out.
Went on all night, for weeks.
Half of my spare time, week days and weekends, my dad always had something for me to do.
Owned a company that produced half-products in metal and plastic, plus manufacture of punch/press molds and injection molds for plastic products. Everything from molds for punch/pressing handgrenade shells to disposable coffee cups, very first ones for Coke bottle twist caps.
If he didn't drag me along to some bizzness parler, local or across the border, I was machining mold stuff, or whatever came up.
He sold it shortly after I told him I had no interest in the business.
Took the fool untill some years ago to figure out the reason for his freaky background, dumb hick.
(me raised on other side of the park, think eating poultry with silverware and a neck-strap in the weekends at age 6, plus private boys boarding school for a while, can't recall ever having had a pair of shorts or sneakers in those days)
Freewheeler types who flew over to England, bought an old van there, threw a matrass in, a cassette-player & cooking gear, and drove across Europe.
A couple even carried a turntable along, and a suitcase with albums (folks there appeared to lag behind 10-15 years at the time).
Albums which were blacklisted in Oz, one could hear playing in any UK-plated van on camping sites, day and night.
Some had done just about everything back home, from sheep shearing to bagging chickens.
Story I got from them was that they entered at night, carrying a bag, in a hen house with something like 10-50K sleeping chickens, stuffed them in the bag, and out.
Went on all night, for weeks.
Half of my spare time, week days and weekends, my dad always had something for me to do.
Owned a company that produced half-products in metal and plastic, plus manufacture of punch/press molds and injection molds for plastic products. Everything from molds for punch/pressing handgrenade shells to disposable coffee cups, very first ones for Coke bottle twist caps.
If he didn't drag me along to some bizzness parler, local or across the border, I was machining mold stuff, or whatever came up.
He sold it shortly after I told him I had no interest in the business.
Took the fool untill some years ago to figure out the reason for his freaky background, dumb hick.
(me raised on other side of the park, think eating poultry with silverware and a neck-strap in the weekends at age 6, plus private boys boarding school for a while, can't recall ever having had a pair of shorts or sneakers in those days)
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An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
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Eggs over easy
My favorite breakfast. Also works for lunch & dinner -
I taught myself the flip. Cooks in resterants don't turn eggs, they flip 'em. Had to break a lot of of eggs to get it down, but I did it.
First I cook the bacon and drain off about half the grease. Then crack the eggs into the pan and when the white is almost set (just a wee bit of clear left) I flip the pan and give them about 15 seconds more.
Perfect. Eggs over easy, cooked in bacon fat -
Alton Brown warning - "You can get sick from eating eggs cooked this way, but it's worth it"
My favorite breakfast. Also works for lunch & dinner -
I taught myself the flip. Cooks in resterants don't turn eggs, they flip 'em. Had to break a lot of of eggs to get it down, but I did it.
First I cook the bacon and drain off about half the grease. Then crack the eggs into the pan and when the white is almost set (just a wee bit of clear left) I flip the pan and give them about 15 seconds more.
Perfect. Eggs over easy, cooked in bacon fat -
Alton Brown warning - "You can get sick from eating eggs cooked this way, but it's worth it"
Coconut jaggery beef
No pics, but this is a Sri Lankan-inspired dish I have been playing with.
You need some nice lean beef, a coconut, spices, and jaggery (a sort of raw sugar).
Cut up the beef, and toss it in a mix of black pepper, ground coriander seeds, chili, and turmeric. Let it sit a while.
Open the coconut, drain out the water (either mix it with gin and drink it or give it to your kid), remove the coconut "meat" from the shell, use a vegetable peeler to remove the brown "skin" from the meat, and toss it in the blender with about 2 cups of hot (boiling) water. Buzz it up for a minute or so, let it sit for a bit, strain to get thick coconut "milk". Put the pulp back in the blender with another 2 cups hot water, buzz, steep, strain and squeeze to get more coconut milk.
Now heat some oil in a pan and sear the beef in batches, removing from the pan when brown. Let the pan cool some, add more oil, add some whole spices (cumin, black mustard seed, fennel seed, fenugreek, etc) and when they pop add a couple of finely sliced onions. Fry the onions for a while until a deep golden or brown, add garlic and ginger, some salt, garam masala, chili, turmeric, whatever. Put the beef back in the pan, add coconut milk, a squeeze of lime juice, and a tablespoon or two of jaggery. Let it simmer until the beef is tender and the gravy is thick. You know what to do then...
No pics, but this is a Sri Lankan-inspired dish I have been playing with.
You need some nice lean beef, a coconut, spices, and jaggery (a sort of raw sugar).
Cut up the beef, and toss it in a mix of black pepper, ground coriander seeds, chili, and turmeric. Let it sit a while.
Open the coconut, drain out the water (either mix it with gin and drink it or give it to your kid), remove the coconut "meat" from the shell, use a vegetable peeler to remove the brown "skin" from the meat, and toss it in the blender with about 2 cups of hot (boiling) water. Buzz it up for a minute or so, let it sit for a bit, strain to get thick coconut "milk". Put the pulp back in the blender with another 2 cups hot water, buzz, steep, strain and squeeze to get more coconut milk.
Now heat some oil in a pan and sear the beef in batches, removing from the pan when brown. Let the pan cool some, add more oil, add some whole spices (cumin, black mustard seed, fennel seed, fenugreek, etc) and when they pop add a couple of finely sliced onions. Fry the onions for a while until a deep golden or brown, add garlic and ginger, some salt, garam masala, chili, turmeric, whatever. Put the beef back in the pan, add coconut milk, a squeeze of lime juice, and a tablespoon or two of jaggery. Let it simmer until the beef is tender and the gravy is thick. You know what to do then...